Inhaler.



n'rnNfr erica.

CLARENCE TAYLOR, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

IN HALER.`

SPECIFICATION f ormighpart of Letters Patent No. 723,070, dated March 17, 1903. Application iled August l2, 1902. Serial Nol 119,424. (No modela T0 a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United;` States, residing at Sioux City, in the county lof Woodbury and VState of Iowa, have'inventedneivaud useful Improvements in Inhale'rs,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and` useful improvements in inhalers. i

The invention aims to constructan inhaler provided with suitable. means which will take up and absorb a greater quantity of a highly-volatile medicament than .the material generally employed for` such purpose.

Medicaments used in inhalersl necessarily areof a volatile character, and many of them are in liquid form, or bythe union of one inhalant with another the resultis a liquid. The objection to the use of solid or crystal medicamentsis that particles of such are inhaled and brought into contact with the mucous membrane, besides being unpleasant, tend to aggravate'the trouble to be relieved. Where liquids are used, it is common to employ folded cheese-cloth or similar Vloosely-constructedbibulos material; but

its use is generally objectionable, for the reason that it is necessaryvto prepare, ship, and charge theinhaler, the" latter being done by inexperienced purchasers or consumers before the inhaler is capable of use.l Another objection to thecheese-clothor like material is that it does not permit afree circulation of air through th'e inhaler. Furthermore,in halers using liquid medicamentswill not retain their strength long enough to be of commercial value without repeated recharging by the consumer, and the average person has -no time or disposition for the refilling operation. To overcome theforegoing objections, the inhaler is provided with Wood; pieces acting as the absorbent. VThese wood pieces may be of any suitable length, preferably `rectangular in cross-section-that is to say, the Woodenpieces maybe `inthe form of cubes or'elongated rectangular strips. The wood employed may be white pine, cedar, balsam,or other suitable wood which will absorband take up a greater quantity of highly- Volatile medicament than the materials now generally used as the absorbent, and, fur-` pieces it Will retain the medicament a much longer time, as Well as permitting a thorough circulation of'air through the inhaler. By employing the absorbent material of Wood which will retain the medicament a much longertime than the absorbent generally emr ployed now itwill enable the filling of the inhaler to be done at the laboratory or a physicians oflice,'and it-will also overcome therepeated charging or recharging of the inhaler.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved inhaler of few parts,of practicalutility, efficient in its use and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture,I and in which the air is compelled to pass through the medicament before reaching the inhaler-tube.

A further object of the invention is to produce an'inhaler which can be closed by the placing thereon, or the employment thereof,of a single cap or cover, and which is so constructed that when removed the inhaler Will` be ready for use; furthermore, thecap or cover closing both the ingress and egress of air to the inhaler When the cap or cover is in position.

A further object of the invention is to enable the use of a greater number of medicaments iu -a practical, pleasant, and efficient way.

One indication of the scope of an inhaler constructed in the manner as hereinafter described will appear in the treating of the wood or bibulous pieces contained in the inhaler with amliquid or a compound or by the treating of a number of the pieces with some 1iquid and the remainder of the pieces With another liquid and then associating the pieces in the body of the inhaler. For example, an antiseptic and a perfume may be employed, the former impregnating `a number of the pieces of Wood and the latter the remaining pieces of Wood and lthe pieces then assembled in the body of theinhaler, or the antiseptic and perfume may be mixed together and the pieces impregnated with the said mixture.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inhaler with a greatly-increased eX- tent of surfaces exposed to the air during its passage through .the inhaler, thus making it possible to medicate dry air to be inhaled with the medicine of only slight or no volatile character, especially When associated with a highly-volatile medicine.

IOO

. rial.

With the foregoing and other objects in View the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the inhaler with the cap or cover thereon and without the wood pieces or absorbent mate- Fig. 2 is a like View with the cap or cover removed and the wood or absorbent material arranged within the inhaler. Fig. 3 is a detail View of the perforated disk within the inhaler. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of a modified form ot' disksyand Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional viewot the inhaler, showing a modified form of Wood pieces or absorbent material.

Referring to the drawings by referencenumcrals, l denotes the body or container of the iuhaler,which is substantially cylindrical in contour and provided with a closed bottom 2 and an open top. The periphery ofthe body portion 1, near the top edge thereof, is formed with screw-threads and is adapted to to be engaged by the screwthreads on the inner face of a cap or cover 3. By this arrangement the cap or cover 3 is suitably connected to the body portion of the inhaler for closing the same. Other means may-be employed for connecting the cap to the body portion 1 than that as disclosed.

The lower end of the body portion 1 has mounted therein a disk 5, preferably formed otl cork,although the disk may be' constructed of any suitable material. The disk when mounted within the body portion l of the inhaler forms an auxiliary chamber or reservoir 5. The disk 5 is provided with a series of perforations 6, forming air-passages, and a centrally-arranged opening 7. In the latter is adapted to be mounted the lower end of the inhaler-tube 8. The tube 8 is hollow,with its lower end open, and is provided at its outer or upper end with a bulbous portion 9, which is also open. The bulbous portion 9 may be omitted and the tube made of uniform diameter throughout. The tube 8 is mounted in the disk 5, so that the latter will support the former, and the perforations in the disk 5, as before stated, form the air-passages for the admission of the medicated air to the auxiliary chamber or reservoir 5.

Within the body portion 1 of the inhaler, above the disk 5, is arranged a series of vertically-extending strips of wood forming the absorbent material for the medicament. As many of these strips l0 may be employed as desired, and these strips 10 are adapted to take up the medicament when the inhaler is supplied therewith. In Fig. 6 the wood, or rather the absorbent y material, is shown as consisting of small pieces substantially cubical,as indicated at 11. 'Ihe strips 10 or small pieces 11 of wood are adapted to surround the tube 8 above the disk 5, as shown, and in such a manner that the air will pass between the strips and pieces and in some instances through the same and through the perforations 6 into the auxiliary reservoir 5.

In Figs. 4and 5 a modified form of disk for closing the body portion 1 of the inhaler is shown. In Fig. 5 the disk is cut away at three parts, forming fiat edges, the latter and the Walls of the body portion forming the airinlets. rlhe cut-away portion of the disk in Fig. 4 is designated by the reference-numeral 12. The disk in Fig. 4 is provided with a centrally-arranged opening 13 for the tube 8. In Fig. 5 the edges of the disk are formed with a series of concaved cut-away portions, as at 14, which, in connection with the inner face of the body portion 1 of the inhaler, form the air-inlets. The disk in Fig. 5 is provided with a centrally-arranged opening l5 for the tube b.

The body portion l of the inhaler I term the container, and it may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably glass or hard rubber. The tube 8 may also be constructed of any suitable material, such as glass or hard rubber, as Well as the disk 5. The cover or cap 3 is constructed of a single piece and easily removed from or connected to the body portion of the container and when connected to the latter closes the airopening and the inhaler-tube, which keeps the latter free from dust, &c.

It will be evident that byconstructing an inhaler in the manner set forth-that is, with the disk forming the air-passages arranged at the lower end ot` the container and mounting the absorbent material above the disk-the air will be compelled to pass through the absorbent material containing the medicaments before it can enter the inhaler-tube, and consequently the air will be thoroughly impregnated with the vapor from the medicament as it passes through the container to the inhaler-tube. The disk forms what may be termed an auxiliary chamber or reservoir at the bottom of the container for the medicated air before the same passes through the inhaler-tube to be used.

The inhaler is ready for use when the cap is removed, as no impractical parts are required to register or cooperate with the other parts. An advantage possessed by the inhaler is that the physicians can medicate the wood or absorbent material with their own medicaments prescribed for special cases.

It is thought the many advantages of my improved inhaler can be fully understood from the foregoing description taken iu con- IIO nection with the accompanying drawings,and it will be noted that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the general spirit `of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l. In an inhaler, a container havinga closed bottom and an open top, a disk suitably out away-to form air-passages and secured within the container near the bottom thereof, a tube supported by the said disk, a cap adapted to be connected vto the inhalerfor closing the same, and a suitable absorbent material arranged within the container.

2. In aninhaler, acontainer havin gaclosed bottom and au open top, a disk suitably cut away to form air-passages and secured within the container near the bottom thereof, a tube extending in said disk, a cap adapted to be connected to the inhaler for closing the saine, and pieces of wood forming an absorbent material arranged in the said container.

3. In aninhaler, acontainer havinga closed bottom and an open top, a disk suitably cut away to form air-passages and secured within the container near the bottom thereof, a tube supported by said disk, a cap adapted to be connected to the inhaler for closing the same, and a series of vertically-extending strips of wood forming an absorbent material suitably arranged within said container.

4. In an inhaler, a container, a perforated disk mounted therein near the bottom thereof and forming an auxiliary chamber, and an inhaler-tube extending in said container and communicating with said auxiliary chamber. 5. `In an inhaler,`a container, a disk mounted in the said container near the bottom thereof and forming an auxiliarychamber within the container, an inhaler-tu'be extending in said-disk and communicating with said auX- iliary chamber, and wood pieces mounted in said container above the said disk.

G. In an inhaler, a container, a disk mounted in the said container near the bottom there` structed as to form'air-inlets for the lower of Y' said chambers, an inhaler-tube supported by said means and communicating with the lower of said chambers, and means for closing the upper of said chambers.

9. Aninhalercomprisingacontainer,means suitably arranged therein for dividing the said container into two chambers, said means so constructed as to form air-inlets for the lower of said chambers, and a vertically-extending inhaler-tube supported at its lower end by the said means and communicating with the lower of said chambers, the upper end of said inhaler-tube provided with a bulbous portion.

l0. An inhaler comprising a container, a perforated disk mounted therein and adapted to divide the container into two chambers, an inhaler-tube supported at its lower end by said disk and communicating with the lower of said chambers, vertically-extending strips of wood mounted upon said disk and surrounding said tube, and a cap for'closing the upper of said chambers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, CLARENCE W. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

R. H. BROWN, GRANT J. Ross. 

